


Laundry Day

by theartofdreaming



Category: The Flash (TV 2014)
Genre: Alternate Universe, F/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-04-28
Updated: 2016-04-28
Packaged: 2018-06-05 03:41:37
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,230
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/6687784
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/theartofdreaming/pseuds/theartofdreaming
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>“We live in the same apartment complex and I accidentally leave my laundry in the washer for a minute too long and you decide to take out all my wet clothes to put in yours just as I walk in” AU</p>
            </blockquote>





	Laundry Day

Iris was just finishing up a short article about the mysterious streak that was going around Central City, saving lives, when her eyes wandered to the clock on her desktop. **_Oh shit._** The load of laundry she had put into the washing machine in the basement was supposed to be done twelve minutes ago. Normally, that wouldn't be much of a deal, but the last four times she had gone to the laundry room a little after her laundry had been done, she had found her (previously) clean clothes all over the dirty floor. Hurriedly, Iris grabbed her keys and clothes basket and rushed down the three flights of stairs. She was just about to enter the laundry room, when she heard the suspicious sound of someone emptying the washer – and, yes, as she walked through the door, Iris could see someone taking her damp clothes out of the machine.

“What do you think you're doing?!” Iris hissed threateningly, scowling at the wrongdoer. The guy swiveled around so fast, that Iris nearly became dizzy just from looking at him; he stared at her in his probably best deer-caught-in-the-headlights-expression, tightly grabbing the purple blouse he'd just taken out.

“Ehm, I-I... I was just..,” he stammered, eyes flickering frantically from Iris to the blouse in his hands. A vibrant blush made its way unto his face, even covering his neck and ears. He was still fumbling with words and Iris couldn't help but notice that the young man in front of her was also kind of cute. He was really tall, but gangly, with light brown hair and blue-greenish eyes that were framed by ridiculously long eyelashes. She let out a shaky laugh.

'Just my kinda luck', she thought, 'the guy that's making my life hell is, of course, super-adorable'. Then her eyes came to rest upon his laundry basket and a dreadful feeling was spreading from the pit of her stomach... Inside the basket was a pile of rumpled red shirts and sweaters, cramped into one corner of the clothes basket and on the other side... was her pile of clothes.

“Oh,” was all Iris could muster to say, her cheeks burning.

“Ehm... I guess these would be yours?” The brunette guy asked Iris tentatively, finally having found his voice, now that her anger had subsided.

“Yes,” she whispered sheepishly, gnawing on her lower lip.

He cleared his throat nervously, then went on: “I'm sorry, I didn't mean to bother you, I just – I went downstairs to get a load done and – well – this machine was the only one ready and I thought I could get out the laundry – that belongs to you, apparently – and put it into my basket for the time being and... I mean, I wasn't sure when you would get here and... I'm so sorry, I should have waited.” He anxiously rubbed his neck with his free hand, still holding her blouse in the other. His spluttered – but seemingly heartfelt – apology made Iris feel even more guilty about barking at him.

“No, I'm sorry. I shouldn't have snapped at you,” she flashed him a nervous smile and he appeared to be loosening up immediately, “it's just – the last couple of times I got down here too late, somebody had dumped my clothes on the floor and I had to re-wash them again... And when I saw you there, I thought I had finally caught the culprit red-handed...” At her words, they both glanced at his clothes in the laundry basket and grinned at one another.

“I assure you that I would never do something like that – I know a thing or two about being late – I mean, I totally understand someone losing track of time,” he rambled, again rubbing the back of his neck nervously.

“Yeah, stuff like that can happen,” Iris agreed, already feeling a certain kind of fondness for the man before her. 'Whose name I don't even know' – Iris realized, astonished by the familiarity she already felt between this random stranger and her.

“I'm Iris, by the way,” she added, extending her hand, suddenly feeling stupid for not introducing herself sooner,” Iris West.” The guy's expressive eyes widened comically, he looked at her like he couldn't believe what he was seeing.

“You are Iris West?” She threw him a startled look, from where should they know each other?!

“Ehm, I mean...” He got fidgety once again, “you are the one who is writing this blog, right? About, ehm...'The Streak'?” His voice nearly cracked at the last word.

“Oh, yeah.” Iris nodded, surprised. She never would have thought that she would actually meet someone who was reading her blog about impossible events (that recently almost always involved a mysterious red blur). The young man kept on staring at her, completely perplexed. Iris still stood there with her hand extended, feeling like an idiot.

“And you are-?” She asked, trying to break him out of his stupor.

“Oh... I'm Barry. Allen.” He blurted out, finally shaking her hand. _**Barry Allen.**_ 'Of course would this cute guy have an equally cute name,' Iris mused, smirking at him.

“So... Barry Allen,” she teased, “you are one of the few people intrigued by the impossible?” He blushed again, nodding. 'He looks utterly adorable,' Iris found. But then her eyes flitted to the clock hanging on the wall, informing her that it was time to get ready for leaving if she wanted to hang up her laundry and get to her Dad's house on time. Every Tuesday she would come over to have dinner with her father.

“How about you and I have coffee some time? Talk a bit more? I mean, only if you want to,” she added hastily, after seeing the puzzled look on Barry's face. “I just have to get going if I don't want to be late for another thing,” she explained, hurriedly putting her clothes into her own basket now.

“I would like that.” Barry smiled at her, making her stomach flutter.

“Great. That's... great.” She beamed up at him, making no attempts to go. They just stood and smiled at each other. Suddenly realizing how ridiculous they must look, the two young adults started blushing simultaneously, laughter of embarrassment echoing from the naked walls of the laundry room.

“I... I should go now,” Iris muttered, heading for the door.

“Oh, Iris, wait!” Barry shouted after her, making her turn around.

“Yeah?” She looked at him expectantly.

“You... ehm...that's yours.” Barry lifted the blouse he was still holding, chuckling nervously.

“Oh... yeah,” Iris took a few steps in Barry's direction, so he could put the purple piece of clothing into her basket, “thanks.” She made her way back to the door.

“Are you free tomorrow?” Barry's voice sounded from behind her, his face so over-eager and hopeful, that Iris could barely hold back a giggle when she glanced at him. ** _A giggle? Oh, you've got it bad, girl._**

“Yeah, sure,” her smile widened at his apparent joy over her acceptance, “4 o'clock at Jitters sounds okay?”

He nodded fervently: “Great.”

“See you tomorrow, Barry Allen!” And with that, Iris hurried upstairs, leaving the young man alone in the basement. He could barely believe that he was actually going to go on a coffee date with his absolutely amazing housemate... who also happened to blog about the heroics of his alter-ego... _**Oh boy...** _

**Fin.**


End file.
